The present invention pertains to RF (radio frequency) networks and more particularly to an arrangement for supporting virtual end nodes in an RF network.
In an RF network where end nodes communicate with access points via wireless communications, data packets are typically sent to the end node by means of a specific address associated with each end node. The access point is the network device which communicates directly with end nodes (users). A data packet typically includes, at the beginning, the routing information. The routing information includes the MAC address of the next hop on the network and the IP (internet protocol) address of the ultimate destination end node.
In such a system, the internet protocol addresses of the access point and end nodes must be registered in the routing tables in each of the RF repeaters and access points in order for messages to travel between end nodes. As a result, the number of end nodes users permitted to an access point was fixed depending on the size of the address fields within the normal internet protocol packet. Thus, if more end node users were to be added, more access points were required up to the limit of the fields in the internet protocol defining the addresses of the access points. Adding access points requires further processing by the RF network, takes up space for additional hardware and is costly.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an arrangement for extending the number of end node users connectable to an RF network while keeping the amount of added hardware and associated floor space required to a minimum. Further, such system should provide for a cost efficient way in which to add further end node users.